Garment-support.



S. T. SHEPHARD.

GARMENT SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, m5.

1,201,883. Patented 0G1]. 17,-1-916.

phard,

VENTOR SAMUEL TU'ITLE SHEPI-IARD, 0F ALBANY, NEW YORK.

GARMENT-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application filed May 5, 1915. Serial No. 26,079.

in garment supports for the purpose of holding articles of' clothing when not in use so that the shape of the garments may be retained.

An object of the invention is to provide flexible means for maintaining the skirt or trousers upon a rail or bar, and which means will release the garment from the hanger when the garment is drawn or removed from the rail or bar.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the following claims.

Figure l is a view in elevation showing a garment supported and fastened to the rail or bar. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view. Fig 3 is a cross-sectional view through the fastening means. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the fastening means. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the clip connected to the fastening means. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a metal strap.

A represents a hanger or support for a coat or like garment and 1 is a hook connected to the hanger for supporting the Connected to the hanger A are rods 2-2 which may be fastened to the hanger in any suitable manner, such as screwing the rods into the hanger. Each rod is provided with a right angular portion or arm 3 which enters an end of a bar or rail 4 for supporting the rail or bar on the hanger. This bar 4 is adapted to receive and support a skirt or pair of trousers.

Connected to the underside of the hanger A is a met-a1 strap 6 which is provided with an opening 7. A flexible means, such as a cord 8, passes through the opening 7 and is knotted for fastening the cord to the strap. A flexible metal clamp consisting of a ring shaped body portion 9 and spaced fingers 1010, extending from the body portion 9, is adapted to be applied to the bar 4 for holding the garment on the bar. These fingers 10 are preferably parallel to each other and are spaced a suitable distance apart.

The terminals or lower portions of the fingers diverge as at 11 and their extreme ends are curled or turned outwardly as at 12 so that the ends will be prevented from coming in contact with the garment and injuring the same. The diverging ends 11 permit the clasp to be applied to the bar 4, as the space between the ends is greater than the width of the bar 4, so that the clasp can be forced down over the bar 4 until the bar is received within the circular or ring shaped portion 9, whereby the garment will be securely held upon the bar 4. Connected to the ring shaped body 9 of the clasp is a clip 13 which is made somewhat U-shaped. The side portions of the clip converge, as at 14, at their lower terminals, and the extreme ends 15 of the clip are bent inwardly at right angles to engage the inner surface of the ring shaped body 9 for connecting the clasp to the garment after the garment has been placed upon the bar 4.

After the garment has been applied to the bar 4 and fastened in position by the clasp and it is desired to remove the garment, the hanger A is grasped by one hand and the garment grasped at one end by the other hand and pulled upwardly. This causes the clasp and garment to be removed from the bar 4 and, after the garment and clasp have been released from the bar 4, the garment will slip from the clasp as the spaced fingers 10 will not afford any resistance to the removal of the garment from the clasp.

In the removal of the garment from the bar either end of the garment can be grasped and pulled upwardly. This will cause the clasp to be withdrawn from the bar 4 but the clasp will not be drawn perpendicularly from the bar but rather at an angle to the bar, and when the clasp has been removed from the bar it will automatically disengage the garment therefrom.

hen the garment support is in use, the garment is thrown over the bar 4, and the opposite ends of the garment hang free from the opposite sides of the bar. The clasp is now applied by forcing the diverging ends 11 over the garment and the bar,

with the garment thereon, upwardly between the fingers into the spring loop 9.

This spring loop 9 substantially encircles the bar 4, holds the garment closely thereabout, and urges the fingers 10 together against the free ends of the garment beneath the bar 4, as shown in Fig. 2.

To remove the garment from the support, one of the freehanging ends of the garment is grasped and raised. This raised end of the garment presses on the adjacent cam 11 and turns the clasp on the bar, swinging the open end of theclasp upwardly in the direction of the pull of the raised end of the garment. The opposite cam'll is, by this turning of the clasp, brought against the opposite freehanging end of the garment to lift the same. The higher the clasp is raised, the greater is the pressure of the free hanging end of the garment against the opposite cam 11. When the opposite pressures of the raised end and the free hanging end of the garment are substantially equal, and, combined, are sufiicient to overcome the inherent resiliency of the clasp, the fingers 10 are spread apart and the diverging ends or cams 11 deflect the clasp upwardly from the bar 4. By this action, no one partor end of the garment Y is subjected to theentire pressure and fricftional contact of the clasp, particularly in view of the diverging lower ends 11 of the'fingers, and the rolled extremities 12 of the fingers.

The connector 8 mustbe flexible to admit the free turning of the clasp on the bar 4. Also the connector 8 is essential to prevent the clasp from flying outwardly from the bar and injuring the person removing the garment, to prevent the loss of the clasp from the hanger, and to provide a ready means for grasping the clasp for application to the bar when placing a garment thereon.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple attachment for garment hangers which can be applied at a small cost. Furthermore, the clasp is the clasp being adapted to spring from the bar to release the garment when one end of the garment is drawn up, and a cord connecting the clasp to the coat hanger to permit the free. turning of the clasp on the bar to equalize the pressures of the opposite ends of the garment against the opposite diverged sides of the clasp when said end of the garment is drawn up, and to prevent the springing of the clasp away from the hanger.

2; The combination with a coat hanger, and a garment supporting bar carried by and being spaced beneath the coat hanger, of a spring clasp havinga spring loop at its inner end shaped for binding engagement over said bar and over a garment thrown over the bar, said clasp also having spaced apart fingers at the ends of the loop to bind the free hanging ends of the garment to gether beneath the bar, the fingers being diverged at their lower ends away from the garment, and outturned at their extremities, said clasp being adapted to be turned on the bar upon the raising of one of said free hanging ends of ,the garment, to cause the clasp to spring from the bar, and a flexible connector between the coat hanger and the clasp to permit the springing away 7 Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

